Set in the cut-throat world of New York’s elite law firms, Suits provides an inside look at the glamour and drama of one of today’s most prestigious industries. We take a look at 9 Suits Harvey Specter Style Tips to make your professional image statement.

Although the everyman main character, Mike Ross, is nearly universally relatable, it’s his boss and mentor, Harvey Reginald Specter Esq, who viewers look to for style inspiration, possibly even more so than his televisual spiritual predecessor from Mad Men, Don Draper.

As portrayed by Gabriel Macht, Harvey Specter’s impeccably smooth appearance and demeanour is hard to beat. The character is gold for viewers who want to look stylish as well as smart while at work, because the Harvey Specter style and image is uber-cool yet well within the boundaries of conservative office dress-codes.

Here is our list of nine important style lessons to learn from watching Harvey in action on Suits, with some guidance on how to go about emulating the inimitalbe Harvey Specter style in your own wardrobe.

1. Think ‘Classic Tailoring’ When Choosing a Suit

Harvey Specter’s appearance is so flawlessly sharp largely because he keeps his wardrobe timeless, rather than chasing trends. The classic approach to fashion is particularly apparent in his suits, which don’t conform to on-trend tailoring features such as skinny cut, thin lapels and slightly shorter trouser. Instead, Harvey’s suits are slim cut, with high arm-holes and medium-wide lapels. Milanese buttonholes add a subtle distinguishing feature. Some of his more formal suits are three-piece, with a classic single-breast vest without lapels. Add a dash of Harvey to your wardrobe by opting for this slim-fit peak lapel three-piece suit from Poshawn:

2. Don’t Go ‘Hipster’ When Choosing a Tie

Harvey’s smooth demeanour and intelligence speaks for itself, so he doesn’t need to rely on attention-seeking accessories to distinguish himself from the average guy. We see this in his choice of ties, which never stray from the norm in terms of width or pattern. Instead of adding a quirky or novelty necktie such as the knitted or overly skinny type, Harvey sticks to mainly black, blue and red silk, and lets his work speak for itself. So remember, keep the patterns simple, as with the classic Tom Ford look.

3. Go For a Conservative Colour Palette in the Office

The legal sector is an especially serious industry, so it’s important for lawyers to stick to traditional rules of office attire. While it may be permissible for those in creative industries to experiment with untraditional colours and the smart-casual look, one always expects a lawyer to be well turned-out in a dark suit. In Harvey’s worldview, he dresses the part in order to be taken seriously, and so he goes for black, grey, brown and navy suits, foregoing any superfluous accessories. If you want to emulate Harvey, go for something like this charcoal pinstripe three-piece.

4. Invest in Good Dress Shoes

In keeping with Harvey’s conservative style of dressing, he does not go for statement shoes, instead opting for black cap-toed derbies or brown full-brogue oxfords, Harvey’s footwear is a cohesive part of his outfit, and does not distract. His shoes are classic, always of excellent quality leather, and made by renowned shoemakers such as a.testoni (see below) Due to their subdued quality, only an expert in men’s fashion would notice anything remarkable about them.

5. Maintain a Polished Appearance with Grooming

Nothing lets down a smart outfit than scruffy, unkempt hair, skin or nails. Harvey keeps himself immaculately groomed, ensuring that every aspect of his appearance is as sharp as possible. While his skin and nails are always kept in tip-top condition, his faux-hawk hair style makes somewhat of a statement. However, his hair never gets too long or too spiky, and is always perfectly coiffed with a pomade. It’s worth bearing in mind that Harvey is not the kind of guy who’d douse himself in a noxious cologne, either.

6. Keep Your Shirts Simple, But Invest in Quality

Harvey’s shirts stray from the norm somewhat with their tall, Italian-style collars rather than the thinner collars often favoured today, although in terms of colour they’re perfectly conservative, foregoing pattern in favour of white and blue. The shirts always fit immaculately, with no tugging or bagginess and sleeves hanging to the base of the wrist. The cuffs are usually of the conventional barrel style, although on occasion he sports French-cuffed shirts. Here’s a typical example of the kind of shirt and cuffs for the Harvey look.

7. Don’t Be Afraid of Pocket Squares

By often sporting a pocket square, Harvey makes a rare style statement with his office attire. The squares always match his shirt and are worn in the understated horizontal fashion, with just a small line of fabric peeking above the breast pocket. It is one of the core characteristics of the Harvey Specter style book.

8. Your Watch Reveals a Lot About You

Costing around $350,000, the Patek Philippe 5004P Chronograph watch is the most extravagant accessory in the Harvey Specter style book. Although the timepiece has an eye-watering price tag, its aesthetic is extremely restrained, with a black leather strap, simple silver casing and no jewels or embellishments that mark it as expensive. This says a lot about Harvey’s contained personality and the classy way he wears his wealth. Below is another Patek Philippewatch, in a lower price range but still boasting enough sheer luxurious exclusivity for you to accessorise a Harvey Specter look.

9. Casual Wear Doesn’t Have to Look Adolescent

Although Harvey Specter is seldom seen in anything other than a business suit or tuxedo, there are several scenes in Suits which reveal his down-time wardrobe. Casual Harvey Specter style includes plain simple black T-shirts or Henleys, dark-wash slim-fit jeans and subdued leather trainers in dark colours. Harvey is always smart and presentable, even on the weekends.

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